Personnel parachute harness



June 1953 c. E. CARROLL PERSONNEL PARACHUTE HARNESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1952 M m w m M m W J1me 1953 c. E. CARROLL PERSONNEL PARACHUTE HARNESS Filed July 22, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR. mama; LULLH Patented June 30, 1 953 OFFICE 2,643,836 PERSONNEL PARACHUTE HARNESS Charles E. Carroll, Dayton, Ohio Application July 22, 1952, Serial No. 300,365

3 Claims.

(Granted under Title 35, U. s. Code (1952),

This invention relates to parachute harness and particularly to personnel parachute harness. The harness herein disclosed is of very light weight, principally for the reason that it employs a minimum number of metal fittings, metal adjustment devices, stifiening members, etc., and can be quickly and Comfortably fitted to a wide range of personnel'sizes. It contains two only let-out-or-take-up points.

With the exception of the lower sling portion, the harness is preferably sewed to a vest or jacket which serves to hold the several straps in the correct position for quick donning or divesting the pack, or for adjusting for maximum. comfort.

The prime novel feature of the harness resides in the arrangement or routing of the straps near the wearers hips. The manner in which this arrangement difiers from the art will appear in the accompanying drawing. and description wherein:

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a perspective view and side elevation of a parachute harness embodying my invention, the vest portion being shown in phantom in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevationoi a portion of the harness drawn to a larger scale than shown in Fig. 2 and the vest portion is omitted.

In Fig. l of the drawing the harness is shown as it would appear on a wearer who was facing forward. The vest or jacket I to which the harness is sewn and which maintains the several parts in the desired assembled relation is shown in phantom in Fig. 1.

Fittings l2 and [2a in addition to each'having provision for connection with one downwardly extending front strap and one upwardly extending strap end, are further provided with means for quick attachment and detachment of the riser strap l4 and [to from the parachute (not shown) whereby the harness may be used with different parachutes and quickly detached from the parachut canopy after landing.

A single continuous main strap I6 is connected at its opposite ends to and extends from the riser fittings l2 and [2a, this strap passes upwardly from the fitting [2 over the right shoulder as at 18, then extending diagonally downward across the back of the harness as at 26, then around the waist above left hip as at 22, then downwardly and toward the front and through the eye of the snap hook link 24 and then inclining upwardly on itself, passing outward through the link fitting 26, then downwardly as at 28, then curving upwardly forming a seat portion or sling sec. 266) as at 30, the strap extending upward at the opposite side of the harness and inward through the link fitting 32, then down and through the D ring link or fitting 34 and back up as at 36 and around the right side of the waistabove the hip as at 3B and diagonally upward across the back and other end portion as at 46, curving forward over the left shoulder as at I: and then down to the other riser fitting lZa where it is fastened.

Front straps 42 tached at their upper ends to the riser fittings l2 and l2a and at their lower ends to the link fittings 32 and 26, respectively, in elfectforming a downward continuation of the opposite ends l6, Illa, to the links 32 and 26 through which the upper portions of the seat sling 30 pass.

A breast strap is formed of short strap parts 44 and 44a each sewn at one end to the front straps 42 and 42a, respectively, their opposite ends carrying snap hook and D ring coupling means 46 and 46a respectively. Leg straps 48 and 46a are attached to the seat strap or sling portion in spaced adjacent relation 30, the free ends being provided with coupling members 50 and 50a for cooperative quick detachable coupling tomembers 34 and 24, respectively. A back supporting strap 52 is looped loosely at its opposite ends around the main strap I6 as at 54 and 54a and the looped ends being stitched as at 56 and 56a whereby the back strap is adjustable vertically along the upper portions of the seat strap portion 30.

The harness shown and described has many advantages.

(1 It may be adjusted instantly to a close fit over a Wide range of personnel sizes by pulling on the leg straps at 48 and 48a, which are adjustable in fittings detachable hook and D ring 50 and 50a which in turn are hooked to complementary D ring and hook fittings 34 and 24, respectively. This permits adjustment of all strap components of the harness since straps 38 and 22, respectively, form a shoulder strap, a diagonal back strap and a lower main seatsling.

(2) It requires no tools or expert personnel to make the adjustment of the harness to fit different size personnel.

(3) It can be adjusted to size, donned or divested in less time than a conventional harness.

(4) It is lighter in weight, and more comfortable than conventional harness due to the convenient single point adjustment between the crossed back strap, leg encircling straps, and seat slin portion and minimum use of heavy metal connectors and adjusting fittings.

(5) Assures a good fit on the wearer due to the and 42a are permanently at versatility of the simple adjusting arrangement.

(6) Highly adaptable to economic production due to simplicity of construction.

The invention described in the foregoing specification and following claims may be manufacturedand usedby or for the Government for governmental: purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

I claim:

1. In a parachute harness, parachute riser fittings adapted to be spaced apart onalwearerfs chest, a front strap depending from each riser fitting, a front strap lower link on the-lower end of each front strap, a single strapgconnectedctol and starting from one of said fittings and extending upward and rearwardly over one=shoulder, then downwardly and diagonally. across the;

back toward one hip, around the waist above the hip and then diagonally downward and back up to form an adjustable. leg. strap portion: then. through one front strap lower link; anddownwardly and around the buttock of a wearer, thenupwardly and through the other. front strap lower link to form-.a seat sling, thendiagonally downward and upward to .fdrma second adjustable leg strap, portion,.then .diagonallyupward.- 1y aroundthe waist above other hipandrearward diagonally across the. back and. the other diagonalstrap portion. and over theothershoulder, then downwardly and secured .to-theother riser fittings, adjustable leg straps sewn, to the. buttocks portion, ofthesaid single strap midway of its length-and extending. forwardly in spaced 'rela'tionto each other, complementary leg strap separable connector linkson said for-. wardly extending leg straps. and..on..the.said main strapleg strap portions for .conneetingthe main strapleg portionsrandsaidleg, strap portions. together to encircle the .legs of. awearer.

2. In aparachute harness, adjusting means which comprises right and..left parachuteriser fittings adapted to be positioned on. the wearers chest, depending front straps havingtheir upper. ends connected-tothe lower edges 'ofsaid riser fittings andhaving. a pair of seatv supporting link's..fastened to..the lower ends of said front straps, asinglecombined body encircling, seat 4 on the left front strap, then inclining downwardly and forwardly and through a second leg strap attaching link, then doubled back on itself, extending upwardly diagonally across the back to the left shoulder, then forward over the shoulder and downward, secured to the right-hand riser fitting, an adjustable abreast istrap comprising two parts with one part fixed to each'ffont strap and adjustable coupling means one on each part 10 and leg straps secured at the center of the seat slinggportionaand extending forwardly therefrom in spaced relation to each other, quick release connector means on said leg straps arranged; for-connection with leg strap attaching links.

3. A parachute harness comprising left and rightriseriflttingseadapted to be worn spaced apart on the chest of a wearer, each fitting having permanent strap attaching means at its top and bottom and means intermediate for detachably securing. a parachute riser thereto; a single continuous combinedibodyencircling, seat sling;

andJleg adjustmentstrap attachedat one;end to-the top of the :rightriserfitting' and extending upward and back over the'right shoulder; then diagonally downward" across the back around the waist above the hip and-downwardto and through a left-hand -leg strap attaching;

link slidably adjustable thereon said single: strap being then doubled back upon itself andextenda ing slidably through a left seat supportingglink connected to the bottom-of 'the leftpermanent strap attaching means then." downward. around the wearers rump-and upward forming an" ad-- justable seat sling, then extending. to and" through a right. seat supportinglink connected. to theright riser fitting, then diagonally down.-v ward through a right-hand legstrap connector link slidable thereon and doubled back on-itself;

inclining upwardly around the waist above the right hip, across the back over the left shoulder and forward'and across the left. shoulder, then downward to the left riser-fitting, an adjustlinks, and a back straphavinglooped endseach slidably receiving one of the sides of the seat sling, and a pair of legencirclingstraps secured to the seat sling, intermediate the seat supportinglinks and extending forwardly, and-jseparable connectors adjustable on the ,strapmembers for detachable connection. with the legstrap connector links on. the single strap.

CHARLES. CARROLL;

No references cited. 

